According to ABC, “World News with Charles Gibson” won May's "sweeps" reatings period among Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 -- averaging nearly 8 million viewers a day -- marking the broadcast’s second consecutive sweeps win. The last time “World News” won back-to-back sweeps among both Total Viewers and the demo was eleven years ago in 1996.

The only trouble with this success is what it may say about the preferences of the evening news audience. CBS, too, saw ratings gains when Bob Schieffer replaced Dan Rather -- indicating that the core network evening news audience may prefer getting its reports from an old white guy than tan, middle-aged Brian Williams or the first solo female anchor, Katie Couric.

Even some folks inside our building assumed the decision was made by Devil Rays management. But according to letter writer Aaron Peter, one of our own circulation executives admitted deciding to withhold copies of the publications from the facility.

Fortunately, I placed a call to tbt* circulation manager Craig Holley, who spent much of yesterday apologizing for misunderstanding what happened and giving Peter an incorrect explanation.

Turns out the Times offers charities the opportunity to sell papers at the Trop to raise money. Because our executives knew the Dukes story might upset some fans, they decided to cancel the distribution of charity papers; unfortunately, by the time circulation got the news, the order garbled into withholding all newspapers -- a decision which incensed several editors here, before they learned it was a mistake.

It almost goes without saying that great reporting loses its impact when the business side of the newspaper keeps the stories from going where they most need to be seen. I'm hopeful that our executives now realize the kind of communication needed to ensure there isn't even the appearance of censoring news.

Reading Your Mind By Reading Your Body

Five minutes after completing a TV interview with former FBI interrogator Joe Navarro, I knew I had to write about him.

We were talking with WTVT-Ch. 13 anchor Kathy Fountain, and he nonchalantly dissected what several physical things she did indicated about her mental state-- from the way she held her head to the way she clasped her hands.

Even though I was a little worried about what he might read from me (at right, is a sign of concern, especially for women), I immediately resolved to meet him and talk over what it's like to know so much about people without even talking to them. And with editing help from our Pulitzer Prize winner Tom French, I also mostly presented the story in his own words.

About the blog

The Feed is your source for television news, reviews and commentary. A group of Tampa Bay Times writers will blog about everything from their current TV obsessions to the changing TV/media landscape (binge-watching galore!). Let's all geek out over our favorite shows together.

As a wee TV fanatic, Times pop music critic Sean Daly first learned to tell time via Lee Majors classic "The Six Million Dollar Man." On family trips, instead of asking "Are we there yet?" he would inquire of his parents: "How many more Six's?" Thus, the concept of an hour. Adorable, right? Not nearly as cute: An adult Sean wears a Tigers hat not to support Detroit but because Tom Selleck wore one on "Magnum, P.I." It's sad really.

Michelle Stark is a Times writer, editor, designer and unabashed TV nerd. Her millennial TV-watching habits rely on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon instead of traditional cable, but she never misses her favorite shows, which include everything from Girls, Parenthood and New Girl to high-minded dramas like Mad Men and Homeland. She never met a reality dance show competition she didn’t like.

Sharon Kennedy Wynne is a Times writer and editor part of that first generation of toddlers raised on Sesame Street. Her TV tastes are eclectic. She's still a big fan of Sesame Street, but also darker fare like American Horror Story and Scandal. As our resident reality TV fan (though she's ashamed to admit it), she has complex theories on Survivor, Amazing Race and Big Brother strategies.